Most People Don't Know It's Actually Illegal To Warm Up Your Car In This Missouri City

Winter can not only be an enemy to your cold hands, but also to your cold car. The number one thing my dad taught me about winter car care, was to let it warm up in the driveway for at least 15-20 minutes. If I didn’t, it might stall out and cause me to run even later for school or work.

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However, due to recent law changes, that winter survival tip may have to be revised a bit.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial/flickr

According to St. Louis municipal law, it is actually illegal to let your car stand idle for more than 10 minutes, unless it is an emergency vehicle.

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So, even on the coldest days, you'll have less time to de-freeze that frigid car of yours.

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If you're thinking of risking it to warm it up for a few extra minutes, I wouldn't. Violators can be fined up to $100. This is all in an effort to create less exhaust and air pollution in the city.

But this change isn’t only good for the environment, your car will benefit, too. Check out this report by Business Insider to see the negative effects of car idling, such as the wasting of gas.

Click here to see the Missouri law as well as other states’ interpretation of the law.

Did you know about this law?